Leaving the Past Behind 4 Joelle's Story
by Chibi Pikapuff
Summary: This is Joelle's side of the story, following her and Ice as they leave the estate to begin a new life together...
1. Prologue

I've been writing this story for a while, and although I took a long break from updating it, I've begun to get my interest in writing it back, and so I'm now posting it here on ff.net so I can get more opinions from people. This story is a continuation from my last Tribe story, "Innocence", although it is not necessary for you to have read that to understand this story. The main characters [Joelle, Ice, Lewis and Zak] belong to me, and so do any other characters that don't feature in "The Tribe" unless I have specifically stated otherwise. However, this story also has some of the tribe characters in, and obviously they don't belong to me… OK?

Just a quick note: The chapter titles will indicate who's point of view that chapter is in, whether it is a main character, minor character, or one of the tribe characters.

Prologue – Dear Diary – Joelle

_I never thought it would be this hard to leave. I used to sit here when I was younger, wishing and longing for the day that I could get away, drawn to the bright lights of the big city. It was only a couple of years ago when I realised something. Nothing the city could offer came close to the close community life I led here. It was a place where you couldn't walk down the road without bumping into someone you knew. I liked that. It made me feel wanted, special. Like I was part of something good. That image was distorted when the virus came: whereas before the estate was alive with activity, now it was lonely and desolate. I seriously considered leaving, running away from all the memories of a place that was no longer the same, but I realised that if I left the memories here then I would regret it, and once I had gone there would be no way to return. So I remained, and persuaded a large majority of the kids to stay with me. We weren't a 'tribe'; I didn't like that phrase. We had no leader for fear of them getting too much power, it was just like before, only we were the adults now. Jamie's house was forever buzzing, the smaller children ran in and out as if they owned it, and Jamie allowed them to do so, feeding them even when he was struggling to feed himself, and giving them a home when they so badly needed one. I can see his house from here. It looks eerie, like it's been that way all the time. It's hard to remember that just a few days ago the house had an owner. Now he's gone, just like the adults did when they wiped themselves out. I should have known. I can remember the first time we met, my family and me had just moved into the estate and him and his parents came to welcome us. That smile he gave me when he first set eyes on me, I should have realised that he liked me, loved me even. I don't think it would have worked though; maybe when we first met, but not now, we knew each other too well for that. I will miss him though. Of all the memories I have of this place, he is the one that stands out. But I fear something. If I leave what will my memories be? Will I see his smile, the one that brightened up his face when I opened the door and saw him standing there, or will I see his pale lifeless body lying on the bed in his sisters' room? It is with hope of the first memory, that I carry this with me, a photograph of the guy I loved as a friend, like he was when I first met him, full of life and filled with happiness. Now I leave my house, in the hope of starting afresh, a new life, and I go in the hope that Jamie too is beginning again, wherever he may be_.


	2. Chapter One, Part One: Joelle

Chapter One, Part One: Joelle

It was time to leave. I knew I had to go, but still something was holding me back, like an invisible force attempting desperately to keep me in the place where so many of my memories were held. Ice had been packing all morning, he was excited about the new adventure we were about to embark on, but I still couldn't help thinking that I ought to remain where I felt safe. I knew that a journey could be dangerous, this world was a far cry from the old one, but I knew I had to go, if I didn't leave now then I never would.

"Joelle?" Ice asked, rather too sympathetically as he wandered into the room. I turned round to face him, and noticed at once the glimpse of excitement shining in his deep eyes. I wiped the tears from my eyes absentmindedly and stood up; glancing once more out of the window at the street I would most likely never set eyes on again.

"I'm ready," I said, mustering up as much enthusiasm as I could manage.

"Good," Ice smiled warmly at me, causing my heart to melt and some of the doubts in my mind to fade away. We wandered out of the room together, down the stairs and to the front door. I looked around all the way, capturing some last memories of the house before I left. Ice led me out of the door, his arm on my shoulder, and as I stepped through the door a crowd welcomed me. It appeared as though the entire estate had halted their usual routine, choosing instead to see me one last time. I smiled, and this time it was a real one. Knowing that people I had lived with for a couple of years cared enough to come and see me off made a warm feeling form in my heart, and I knew it wouldn't die away quickly. As I stood there, a huge grin on my face, the crowd parted on Ice's command, leaving a path for me to walk down in the centre. As I looked past the crowd, it was obvious why they had parted. Standing behind them, tall and majestic, was a white horse. 

"Wow!" I exclaimed, not able to keep my pleasure in. Ice led me forward through the crowd and I smiled at them all as I walked past, feeling like a princess. Reaching the horse, he held my hand as I lifted myself slowly onto the animal, struggling to get my legs over; I'd never ridden on one before. Ice looked up at me and smiled warmly at me, and I realised now, as if I hadn't even noticed earlier, that I truly did love him. I knew from the look on his face and the glow in his eyes that he felt the same way, and I knew that the warm feeling that gave me in my heart would never go away. Ice helped me onto the horse, as I was struggling to get myself onto it, and I felt butterflies in my stomach as he touched me and gently lifted me from the ground. Ice leapt up on to the horse, sitting just in front of me, and pulling on the reins, the horse pulled away from the drive, and we rode away from the cheering crowds, and towards Jamie's house on the edge of the estate, where I had something to do before we left.

****


End file.
